I took my car the 67 olds out the other day and ended up with a lot more then I ever wanted.I visited a friend and it was decided were I had parked my car wasn't the best place for it.I went to start it and thus started the trouble.The engine turned over what sounded like twice then nothing.I still had power but the starter would not engage at all notta.I thought maby it was the switch or starter.I tryed with the key to see if the swich was wearing out along with wiggling the shifter figureing maby the safty switch was having trouble.Nothing worked so we took out the starter and tested it.The starter at the time seemed to be fine.We put it back in and set up a starter button and the car started and seemed to be fine.I moved the car parked it and left it for awile.Later in the evening we went for a short drive around the corner as a friend wanted to show me a car they were considering buying.I notice that the car was acting odd and was like sputtering skipping and hesatating.I was concerned so I went down a side street stopped popped the hood seen smoke from the wire harness and shut the car off.I am a bit torked at myself as when I purchassed the car I should have checked this wiring harness out vigorusly.I knew it looked odd from day one .But I get get five years out of it with out trouble.Well we unwraped the tape and what a friggin mess.One coil wire was frying into all the other wires.The harness was redneck bubble gummed together and my thinking is the wires rubbed till they shorted and started burning up.The one thing that puzzled me is the coil wire in question has a rope like material instead of the common plastic wire type coating.The wire is a white looking wire under the dash it is hooked to two pinkish wires.The other end someone spiced a piece of blue wire to the coil.I need to know were to get a wire harness if it comes to that and does fusick's sell one to fit my 67 delmont 88.The other idea is if someone can help with a few parts I may be able to repair this one thanks.

 

I tell you the fun continues the starter is now fried.I took it out and tested it and all it does is buzz nothing else.I unwrapped more of the wires and the fun goes close to the fire wall but luckily nothing is damaged inside under the dash.The positive terminal block is busted it looks like it has a coil inside the block and a two wire plug on the one side.I need some suggestions as that block has a purpose though I havn't traced out what the two wires are for that plug into the side of it.

 

I completly forgot about this thread and posting pictures or a link to a youtube video of the mess.Oddly enough I ended up using 7 wire trailer wire loom to fix the problem.I guess you could call it a sort of reneck fix but it is much better than the mess I started with.I would say it looks better and was alot cheaper than a say painless wiring kit.

 

I could not belive the bubble gum job I found when I took what seemed like two rolls worth of black electrical tape off the mess.I found a piece of garden hose numorus crimp connectors and various different pieces of wire.Come to think about it I found house lamp wire in the dash wire nuted together when I worked on things in the dash.But I have long since ironed out all the wiring.

 

I also figured out what the black thing with the two wires is.The horn relay but it was in ruff shape and luckily I have two project cars so I took one from the project car hoping to find anoter to replace it.The dang thing doubles as the pos wire junction block.

 

for some reason the pictures for the horn relay pos junction block did not post.


Video of some updates info and repair on my car

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=su8Tt-V-tf4

 

Yea, unfortunatly you've been Bubba'd for sure. Smoking wires usually happen when wire connections aren't making full contact. If making a home connection, at least solder it and use proper Scotch 33+ tape. Lesser tape, usually just turns to goo over time. The mentioned strange looking coil wire, is probably a resistor wire, and needs to stay. Although your car is a rare one, Painless Wire makes harnesses for many cars. Maybe contact them, and see if they'll make you a custom one. Wont be cheap though. For fixing things properly yourself, check the Waytek Wire site.

 

Glad you got it figured out and repaired. I do not even remember this lost thread cause I was on vacation then.
The wire to the coil is resistor wire, hence the unusual look.
If you used soldered connections and heat shrink tubing for your repairs, you should be good for quite a while. You may see if American Autowire has one for your car - they might. They are costly but not universal jobbies like painless.

 

It sounds like you have bad grounds along with some bubba wiring. Clean all the grounds you can locate throughout the car. Replace the engine harness both battery wires, junction box etc...Get a service and wire diagram manual from one of the many vendors who offer copies. Follow all the wire grounds and clean and seal them (use ignition or battery terminal sealer). Each harness has ground ringlets in various spots.
Painless should be able to help you as the Delmont’s are very similar mechanically to a Cutlass. I think your dash harness and gauges are even the same at least in the 68s??
It’s well worth it to go through the whole car and replace any harness in question. Cheap verses the car burning to the ground. Also get yourself a high quality (made in USA) battery disconnect, the one that mounts to the battery post (neg). This will allow you to disconnect the car while it sits, theft deterrent and will allow for emergency disconnect if another short should ever poke its ugly head up.

 

Just saw your video, and can comment on a few things. For the antenna, many older AM radio only cars used whips like this. The small base loaded job, is a replacement, designed to attach to a broken mast. All antennas later went to 31" to match the FM wavelenth. As for gauges, I went with a small Auto Meter 3 cluster electric set up. Painted the frame to match the dash, and looks pretty good. I'd have the radiator checked, as possibly more plugged than you might think. Sure the sealer you're using is fine, but I've had plenty good luck with basic Permatex #2 over the years.

 

Thanks to all for the comments and suggestions.I fixed the wires two years ago and last nite I was going through old posts and decided to update this one and a few others.I have not had any problems since I fixed it.I mentioned the dash wires as it was on the same lines of the mess that was done to the car long before I purchased it.But all in alll I have traced out and fixed all the wiring problems.I can not afford a fancy wiring kit and I do not think it will be nessesary.I had bare and bubble gumed wires and now they are repaired.The anntenna was a finnishing touch as it did not look nice the way it was back when I bought the car.I was told about am radio's needing longer antennas for reception but it works great for fm as well.I can get stations that are a long way out.For now the car is done till I have the funds to fix a few things and at this time it is more a driver and fun car.Many people fix them up and then hardly drive them.Mine I have driven in the rain and the chilly days.But I put the car away for winter.